Obesity Public Health Issues

The recent acknowledgement of obesity as a disease was a wise decision for the Canadian Medical Association to implement. Obesity is a major health issue worldwide with its prevalence having more than doubled since 1980 (“Obesity and overweight,” 2016). It is a common misconception that the sole causes of obesity are a poor, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. In truth, the etiology of obesity is far more complex and multiple factors contribute to its presence (Chan & Woo, 2010). At the molecular level, obesity is the abnormal or excess accumulation of fat in adipose tissue (Chan & Woo, 2010). It lowers life expectancy and impairs body functions (Rich, 2015; Chan & Woo, 2010). Several factors that play a role in obesity include genetics, socioeconomic status, education, ethnicity, and the environment (James, Leach, Kalamara, & Shayeghi, 2001; Chan & Woo, 2010).
Current obesity public health interventions have targeted the food, physical activity, and socioeconomic environments (Chan & Woo, 2010). However, there are also a number of barriers to effective obesity management and one the primary challenges is the stigma and weight bias (Chan & Woo, 2010). Recognizing obesity as a disease is an alternative approach to address this issue. It shifts the predisposed thinking that obesity is caused by the individual’s lifestyle choices and that it
Physicians mainly viewed obesity as a behavioural problem caused by excessive eating and sedentary behaviour (Puhl & Heuer, 2009). Regrettably, an individual’s weight influenced the physician’s attitude towards the patient. As the BMI of a patient increased, doctors reported liking their job less, having less patience, and having less desire to help the individual. They even reported that seeing obese patients was “a greater waste of their time” (Puhl & Heuer,